The veil has a long and interesting history in Japan, and can be traced back to the Heian period. Initially, its purpose was to obscure the faces of women of high birth from the gaze of others while in public, but it also served to protect against insects and dust. When the katsugi tradition died out (for all intents and purposes around 100 years ago), it was worn mostly in the less densely populated areas, for such ceremonies as weddings and funerals. Over time, it changed from being an attachment worn around a hat to being a separate accessory shaped very much like a kimono, with vestigial sleeves. Some also have a deeply cut neckline to accomodate upswept hairdos (as shown here).

Mingei, the magazine of The Japan Folk Crafts Museum, states that in the Edo period, katsugi were…

Ever since kindergarten Peter had always loved playing games…but never by the rules. Devious, he hid behind a complicated set of moves, needing to win at any cost. It was all about power and perception. Others are starting to see through him of late, questioning his intentions and backing him into a corner. Had Peter finally out manoeuvred himself?

The ephemera: original pages from an antique French copy book from 1890 containing the words homme honnete; original pages from an antique Larousse dictionary from 1900 containing the words jeu, facade and deception, reproduction of vintage caricature drawing.

Hannah Höch (1889-1978) was born in Gotha. Her father was the director of an insurance company, her mother a hobby painter. Hannah studied at the Kunstgewerbeschule (Arts and Crafts School) in Berlin between 1912 and 1915. She finished her studies under Emil Orlik, concentrating on collage techniques. After her schooling, she worked in the handicrafts department for the Ullstein publishing house, designing dress and embroidery patterns for Die Dame (The Lady) and Die Praktische Berlinerin (The Practical Berlin Woman). She met Dadaist Raoul Hausmann in 1915 and they became close friends. Höch was the only woman participating in the First International Dada Fair which took place at at Dr. Otto Burchard’s Berlin art gallery in July 1920. Among her fellow dadaists were Johannes Baader, George Grosz and John Heartfield. Höch’s personal relationship with Hausmann grew from friendship to a temptous romance over time, but they separated in 1922, partly because…